


Agents and their Assets

by lanyon



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-12-26 06:05:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/962491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/pseuds/lanyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been eight years and that has been a marriage for Barton and an engagement for Coulson; it’s been Barton’s string of girlfriends who have all seen what Coulson sees; a good man who makes mistakes. </p><p>(Agent Rule 5: Don’t get too attached.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Agents and their Assets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [regonym](https://archiveofourown.org/users/regonym/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Hawkeyes and their Handlers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/950260) by [lanyon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/pseuds/lanyon). 



> +Happy birthday to **regonym** , who is a wonderful person and friend. :D  
> +Thanks hugely to **17 pansies** for the emotional and literary support.  
>  +This is the 'other side' of [Hawkeyes and their Handlers](http://archiveofourown.org/works/950260) although reading that story first is by no means prerequisite.  
> (+Do not adjust your sets; it's been a million years but yes, this is my first Clint/Coulson story in quite some time.)

(Agent Rule 1: A new asset is not love but is the most important relationship of your life.)

Phil’s fingers tremble slightly as he knots his tie. No one else would notice, he thinks, aside from a Hawkeye or two but he has long since grown used to not being the centre of Hawkeye’s attention. It’s because of his injury and his long convalescence; it’s because of his medication. It’s because he’s fifty and a SHIELD agent and still alive.

He drives Lola to work now. He always used to save her for weekends and personal occasions but nearly-or-actually dying changed his priorities. It’s not how a man wants to learn perspective and things in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are, especially when they are beat-up muscle cars of dubious providence. 

“ _What_ is that?” he asks when Hawkeye gets out of the car. 

(Agent Rule 2: Never ask an asset where they acquired anything unless you are prepared to be considered an accomplice.) 

“I know, she’s a beaut, right? Got her for Katie Kate. Gonna paint her purple.”

“Who?” asks Phil, bland as he can. “The car or your unfortunate protege?” 

“She’s starting work tomorrow.”

Phil eyes the car. “That seems optimistic.”

“Darcy’s gonna be her handler, huh?”

“Agent Lewis is more than capable-”

“I know there’s a joke about assets in here-”

“You make that joke, Barton, and I won’t do a thing to stop the harrassment case _or_ the subsequent _beating_ you will justly deserve at the hands of Agent Lewis.”

(Agent Rule 3: Never make idle threats.  
Agent Rule 3a: Follow through on at least 10%.)

.

“Do you really think I’m ready?” Darcy is chewing her lip and looking worriedly over the file in front of her.

“Weren’t you _born ready_? Isn’t that what you were saying yesterday and last week and the day you walked in here for the first time?” asks Phil. 

It’s been a long, long time since Darcy was an indentured intern, put to work at SHIELD because they didn’t know where else to put her, and Barton always laughs about how she seemed to imprint on Phil.

“See, that’s the thing, Coulson. No one ever believes you have a sense of humour.”

(Agent Rule 4: Never let anyone know what you’re thinking. The element of surprise can be your greatest weapon)

.

Coulson remembers the day Hawkeye first strolled into his office. He remembers the bottom dropping out of his stomach because these had to be some spectacularly long odds; that the ruggedly handsome, if somewhat bruised, guy from the night before just so happened to be Coulson’s new asset. 

It’s unusual for Coulson to be surprised on the job and it was nigh-on impossible not to let his gaze drift down to Hawkeye’s thighs, knowing that he had sucked bruises onto them in a cheap hotel in Hell’s Kitchen. 

It’s been eight years and that has been a marriage for Barton and an engagement for Coulson; it’s been Barton’s string of girlfriends who have all seen what Coulson sees; a good man who makes mistakes. 

(Agent Rule 5: Don’t get too attached.)

.

“So, Katie Kate and Darcy,” says Hawkeye. His feet are on Coulson’s desk and he’s fidgeting with the fletching of an arrow and Coulson can only hope that it’s not a particularly incendiary Stark-patented arrow. 

“Indeed,” says Phil. He looks at Hawkeye. “Imagine that.”

“I’d really rather n- oh _god_ , Coulson. Mental images I do not need include, but are not limited to, your protege hooking up with my protege.”

“You’re not a fan of young love?” 

“Fuck you, Phil.” Hawkeye glares at his arrow. “I suppose it’s kind of cute, though.” He looks up, sudden and sharp and Phil is in the crosshairs. “Makes a guy think, though-”

“Careful, Hawkeye,” says Phil, softly. “I know how much that goes against the grain.” 

Hawkeye points the arrow in Phil’s direction. “Just, you know. What might have been.”

(Agent Rule 6: Do not speculate. Analyse.)

“What might have been? There are fraternisation rules-”

“That flew out the window when Agent 13 hopped on Cap’s-”

“ _Hawkeye_ -”

“Why is it one rule for them and one for you’n me, Coulson?” Clint sits back and runs his fingers through his hair. 

Phil doesn’t know what to say; he doesn’t know what to say without it being a fervent declaration. He doesn’t know what to say without every word being laden with regret for eight years and Phil Coulson is brave but he is not foolhardy (not like the man sitting in front of him, eyes fixed on his). 

He leans forward. “It’s not,” he says, quietly. “It’s not a different rule. You were married.”

“You were _engaged_.”

“I was in love.”

(Agent Rule 7: Honesty is always the best policy.  
Agent Rule 7a: Secrets are an agent’s currency.)

Hawkeye flinches. “We were all in love.”

Phil tries not to smirk too obviously. “Now you’re making it sound unseemly.”

Hawkeye huffs out a laugh. “Don’t you know me _at all_ , Coulson?”

 _Not as much as I’d like_ , thinks Phil. _More than you’d know._ He smiles. “Is that a challenge, Special Agent Barton?”

“Ooh, _special agent_. I think I like where this is going, sir.”

.

It’s because of Darcy and her relationship with Kate Bishop; an easy camaraderie that, for all their youth, is intense. It is not that Phil is jealous and times have changed and it has only been a day. They are not the Sacred Band of Thebes and this is not Sparta, despite Darcy’s occasional habit of quoting to the contrary whenever anyone speaks of madness. It is easier to save the world when your world fights beside you. (It is easier to save the world when you are not bleeding out on a cold Helicarrier floor and all is cold and blue.)

Phil thinks he will ask Hawkeye out for a drink or takeaway on his overstuffed couch in his midtown apartment, that is just far enough from the Tower that Phil can pretend he saw nothing. 

(Agent Rule 8: Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as downtime.  
Agent Rule 8a: Downtime is not synonymous with hospital admission.)

Phil thinks he will ask Hawkeye out for a drink but it is a red alert and a wormhole in Boston. All hands on deck and, predictably, Hawkeye takes a tumble and the dust hasn’t settled before he is in Medical. 

Phil goes about his business and completes his reports and, when Hawkeye hasn’t presented himself, limping and sutured, at his office door, he takes the executive decision to check on his asset.

There is little point telling himself that his interest is entirely professional and so he doesn’t even try. Instead, he can only hope fervently that Hawkeye is, at least, ambulatory and he doesn’t hear the voices behind the curtain until he pulls it back and the two Hawkeyes are talking. 

“Oh, I can come back,” he says, quickly, already shuffling backwards.

“Nooo, no, Agent Coulson, sir. No.” Kate stands up, quickly, while Clint looks shifty. “Hawkeye was just telling me about when you guys first met.”

Clint groans and Coulson looks, bewildered, between them both. 

“Sorry about that, sir,” says Hawkeye, contrite between hospital corners.

“Did you tell her about the hotel room-” asks Phil, feeling his lips stretch into a smile.

Hawkeye blushes. “I may have mentioned something-”

Phil sits down on the edge of the bed. “How long do they want you to stay this time?” His conservative estimate for how long Clint _will_ stay tends to be the doctors’ estimation, divided by three.

(Agent Rule 9: Prepare for the long haul.)

. 

Within an hour, they are downstairs, standing between Lola and Hawkeye’s not-yet-purple monstrosity. 

“I was going to ask you out for a drink but I’m guessing that goes against medical orders.”

Phil feels a tug and he looks down at Hawkeye’s hand, wrapped around his tie. Hawkeye’s smiling, in that absurdly gentle way he has, when talking about Kate, or Bobbi, or anyone he loves.

“Let’s take a raincheck on the drink and maybe you can show me some of your moves,” says Hawkeye, softly. 

“You’re being very forward, Hawkeye,” says Phil. “I think that Hawkeye’s been a promising influence on you.”

“Forward?” asks Clint. “Me?” He laughs softly. “No, I meant moves with this amazing car.”

Phil laughs, too, and he’s still laughing when Clint presses their lips together softly and it might be the first time and he will not regret the past eight years. 

“Well, shit,” says Kate Bishop from the shadows. “You’re my ride home, buddy.” 

Phil doesn’t move and if his hands are on Clint’s butt, they can all deny it later. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” says Kate. “I’ll take a cab.”

“Now who’s the promising influence?” says Hawkeye, his breath ghosting over Coulson’s lips.

(Agent Rule 10: Nothing is irretrievable.)


End file.
